Penstemon plant named ‘Blue Riding Hood’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Penstemon  plant named ‘Blue Riding Hood’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; blue and violet blue-colored flowers arranged on strong flowering stems; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Penstemon schmidel.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BLUE RIDING HOOD’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant, botanically known as Penstemon schmidel and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Blue Riding Hood’.

The new Penstemon plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new winter-hardy Penstemon plants with numerous attractive flowers and long flowering period.

The new Penstemon plant originated from a cross-pollination during the spring of 2008 of two unnamed selections of Penstemon schmidel, not patented. The new Penstemon plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands in August, 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Penstemon plant by vegetative cuttings in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, since August, 2009, has shown that the unique features of this new Penstemon plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Penstemon have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without , however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Blue Riding Hood’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Blue Riding Hood’ as a new and distinct Penstemon plant:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Blue and violet blue-colored flowers arranged on strong         flowering stems.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Penstemon differ from plants of the parent selections in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Penstemon are more vigorous than plants of         the parent selections.     -   2. Plants of the new Penstemon have stronger flowering stems         than plants of the parent selections.     -   3. Plants of the new Penstemon flower for a longer period of         time than plants of the parent selections.     -   4. Plants of the new Penstemon are more winter-hardy than plants         of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Penstemon can be compared to plants of Penstemon ‘Red Knight’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, plants of the new Penstemon differed from plants of ‘Red Knight’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Penstemon were more compact and stockier         than plants of ‘Red Knight’.     -   2. Plants of the new Penstemon had stronger flowering stems than         plants of ‘Red Knight’.     -   3. Plants of the new Penstemon and ‘Red Knight’ differed in         flower color as plants of ‘Red Knight’ had red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Penstemon can be compared to plants of Penstemon schmidel ‘Red Riding Hood’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,950. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, plants of the new Penstemon differed primarily from plants of ‘Red Riding Hood’ in flower color as plants of ‘Red Riding Hood’ had bright red-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Penstemon had lighter green-colored stems, leaves and peduncles than plants of ‘Red Riding Hood’.

Plants of the new Penstemon can also be compared to plants of Penstemon schmidel ‘Delfts Blue Riding Hood’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/931,674 filed concurrently. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, plants of the new Penstemon differed primarily from plants of ‘Delfts Blue Riding Hood’ in flower color as plants of ‘Delfts Blue Riding Hood’ had lighter-colored flowers than plants of the new Penstemon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Penstemon plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Penstemon plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Blue Riding Hood’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photograph and following description were grown during the summer in an outdoor nursery in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands and under typical production practices and conditions. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 33° C. and night temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 20° C. Plants were five months old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Penstemon schmidel ‘Blue Riding Hood’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Penstemon schmidel, not             patented.         -   Male parent.—Unnamed selection of Penstemon schmidel, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About eight to ten days at 20° C. to             22° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; color, close to 161D.         -   Rooting habit.—Dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial; upright and compact             plant form; narrow inverted triangle; vigorous growth habit             and relatively rapid growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 15 cm to 20 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching habit             with about 16 lateral branches developing per plant. Length:             About 30 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About             4.8 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Close to 148C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 6 cm to 7 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.5 cm to 2 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Truncate, oblique.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 148B; venation, close to 145C. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 145C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape, arrangement and flowering habit.—Single             bi-labiate flowers arranged on terminal racemes; flowers             face mostly outwardly; freely flowering with about 70 to 150             flowers developing per inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, plants             flower during the summer in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About two weeks; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 145D.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 2.4 cm. Depth (height): About 3.1             cm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five, fused into a tube; bi-labiate,             upper lip with two upper petals and lower lip with three             lower petals. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape:             Ovate to obovate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color:             When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 105A;             towards the base and apices, close to 94C; color becoming             closer to 94C with development. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 105A; towards the base and             apices, close to 94C; color becoming closer to 94C with             development.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Four sepals in a single whorl; calyx             salverform. Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:             Round. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Immature             and mature, upper surface: Close to 144B. Immature and             mature, lower surface: Close to 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 30 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Aspect: Upright to about 30° from vertical. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 138C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Aspect: About 10° from the peduncle axis. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 138B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.             Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color:             Close to 202A. Pollen amount: Scarce to moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 158B. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 3.3 cm. Stigma shape: Somewhat conical.             Stigma color: Close to 155B. Style length: About 2.9 cm.             Style color: Close to 91D. Ovary color: Close to 147B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been observed             on plants of the new Penstemon. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Penstemon have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Penstemon. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Penstemon have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures ranging from about −10° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Penstemon plant named ‘Blue Riding Hood’ as illustrated and described. 